Fat Bear Week fans crowned a new junior champion Friday, and the victory went to a cub with a famous lineage.
128’s yearling, the offspring of two-time Fat Bear Week champion Grazer, claimed the title in this year’s Fat Bear Junior Bracket.
The contest featured four young bears, with the final showdown featuring 128’s yearling and 26’s mischievous nine-month-old female cub.
128's Yearling
More than 20,000 votes rolled in for the yearling, beating out 26’s cub by a wide margin. 26’s cub garnered nearly 11,000 votes.
Grazer’s yearling already tips the scales at more than 200 pounds and has proven to be a survivor. According to her biography, she lived through a fatal bear attack on her twin sibling last year and has learned to fish on her own this season under Grazer’s guidance.
“As a singleton, you can kind of just get all of the resources from the sow, but you’re also learning how to fish.” said Sarah Bruce, a park ranger at Katmai National Park and Preserve. “So, we’ve seen that cub also get its own fish.”
Her opponent, 26’s cub, brought plenty of charm. Known for stealing fish from her twin brother, the cub has captured the hearts of many viewers online.
26's Female Cub
“They’re a little mischievous. One of them really likes to kind of fish on its own, and then the female likes to steal the fish. So, they’re just so fun to see at this time of their lives.”
“128 Junior has a big following, but the spring cub is the cutest in my opinion,” Bruce said, laughing.
In the end, the crown settled on the fatter bear.
The Fat Bear Junior Champion will now join the main Fat Bear Week bracket. The lineup of adult contenders is set to be announced Monday.
Competition begins Tuesday.
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